Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens, left) wrestles with a Christmas narrative, with the help of his creation, Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer) in "The Man Who Invented Christmas."(Photo: Kerry Brown/Bleecker Street)

“The Man Who Invented Christmas” aims to do what “Finding Neverland” did for “Peter Pan” author J.M. Barrie: humanize literary icon Charles Dickens and illuminate the creative process behind his most beloved work.

That would be “A Christmas Carol,” Dickens’ 1843 novella about scowling miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by three ghosts who teach him the meaning of the holiday. Like “Peter Pan,” it’s a tale oft retold — in movies, stage musicals, Disney cartoons (remember Scrooge McDuck?) and sitcom parodies.

Based on the 2008 book by Les Standiford, “The Man Who Invented Christmas” is neither as touching nor as magical as “Finding Neverland,” probably because it’s trying very hard to be both. It lays on the pathos, moralizing and forced whimsy thicker than figgy pudding, but it’s still entertaining, heart-warming family fare, thanks in large part to charmingly sincere performances.

Dan Stevens (“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Guest”) plays the title role, and the film wastes no time in letting the audience know that the Great Man is in need of a bit more Christmas spirit himself. Dickens devoted his career to battling social injustice, but he was also a bit of a dandy who knew he wanted to be famous before he knew he wanted to be a writer.

We meet him on a tour of America, where he basks in gaudy displays of adulation by the masses. But back in London, he discovers that his last two books aren’t selling very well and he’s running out of money to pay for his crystal chandeliers. A chance encounter with a dour old man in a graveyard helps inspire his most indelible character.

Soon enough, he finds himself bickering with his own creations, including the great Christopher Plummer as Scrooge, and experiences his own ghostly visitations. There’s more than a whiff of cheese to the proceedings, but also plenty of moments that will tickle the fancy of anyone who loves “A Christmas Carol.”

To say Dickens “invented” Christmas is hyperbole, of course. He wrote the book at a time of renewed interest in the religious holiday, but his cautionary tale certainly was hugely influential, inspiring countless acts of yuletide charity.

Likewise, the film’s portrayal of the creative process is a mix of fact of wild exaggeration.

It’s true the author drew on his own life for the settings and details in his books, including names of characters. But in this telling, every famous image and moment in the book seems to have been served up to Dickens on a silver platter, from the big brass doorknocker to Tiny Tim’s crutch.

But the broad strokes are drawn from the author’s life, including his nightmarish childhood memory of working in a rat-infested factory while his father was in debtors’ prison.

John Dickens’ spendthrift ways are central to the story here, as dear old dad (Jonathan Pryce) shows up unannounced and begins eating Charles out of hearth and home. The charming rapscallion is a bitter reminder of the past — eventually forcing the writer to confront his own faults.

Yes, there are life lessons aplenty, but that’s perfectly appropriate in a celebration of one of the great moral fables of all time.